Friday, 8 December 2023, Dubai, UAE: The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), a global initiative spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates and the United States, today announced more than doubling of investments, partners, and Innovation Sprints in transformative climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
With the support of over 600 government and non-government partners, AIM for Climate announced an increased investment of more than $17 billion, up from $8 billion at COP27, representing a more than doubling of investments. The increased investment comprises over $12 billion from Government Partners, with contributions from Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, the European Commission, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United States, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Vietnam and over $5 billion investment from Innovation Sprints.
AIM for Climate introduced 27 Innovation Sprints, initiatives led and self-funded by partners to achieve expedited results in agricultural and food systems innovation. There are now 78 Innovation Sprints in total, more than double what was announced at COP27, aligned with one or more of AIM for Climate’s Innovation Sprint focal areas:
Smallholder Farmers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries; Emerging Technologies; Agroecological Research; and Methane Reduction. To view all AIM for Climate Innovation Sprints, including those announced at COP28, please visit this link.
The investments in the AIM for Climate initiative are enabled and supported by a coalition that has more than doubled in partners to over 600. This diverse group includes governments, businesses, academia, non-profits, think tanks, and more.
The new investments, partners, and Innovation Sprint announcements were made by AIM for Climate co-leads U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and UAE Minister of Climate Change & Environment, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri at the UAE Pavilion, COP28. These announcements underpin AIM for Climate’s progress in significantly increasing investment in and other support for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over the period of 2021 to 2025.
Dignitaries at the event emphasized the urgent need for innovative approaches in agriculture and food systems to confront the climate crisis. Additionally, they highlighted the importance of investing in climate-smart agriculture and food systems, demonstrating how AIM for Climate partners and Innovation Sprints are driving innovation through new investments
